Dal With Roast Okra And Brown Rice

Simple Dal with Roast Okra

Just enough kick to warm the Blood and move the Qi. 

For Dal

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon good quality garam marsala - we bought ours at Dual Specialty Shop - NYC
• 1 large ripe tomato, diced
• Sea salt
• 2 cups red lentils, rinsed until water runs clear
• 6 curry leaves
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• Brown rice, simmer with a cinnamon stick, for serving
• Chutneys of choice, for serving

Warm a large saucepan over medium flame.  Add olive oil and heat to just below shimmering.  Reduce flame.  Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent, just a minute or two.  Stir in cumin, mustard, fennel and garam marsala and cook, stirring constantly until spice is toasted, just a minute.  Add tomatoes and cook just until tomatoes start to breakdown.  Season with a hefty pinch sea salt.  Add rinsed lentils and 8 cups cold water.  Stir in curry leaves and another pinch salt.  Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils completely break apart and turn to mush, about 40 minutes.  Stir in fresh ginger about 20 minutes into cooking time and then continue to let simmer.  Adjust seasoning with salt as needed.  

For Okra

• 1 pound fresh okra
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 scant teaspoon garam masala

Heat oven to 425.  Set a baking sheet in the oven while it preheats.  Combine okra, olive oil, salt, pepper and garam masala in a large bowl and toss well to coat.  Transfer seasoned okra to hot baking sheet - it should sizzle on contact.  Place in oven and roast, shaking once or twice, until okra is both crisp and tender, about 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with a bit more salt and serve.  

Tomato Farcie

Tomato Farcie

This recipe is courtesy of our dear friend Jill Anton.  She was lucky enough to spend 6 months in France and get the all things culinary inside scoop. 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large end of season tomatoes 
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound sausage meat
• 1 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs such as parsley, tarragon and chives
• Cooked rice, for serving 

Heat oven to 400.  Warm a medium skillet over a low flame.  Add olive oil.  Heat a moment or two.  Add onions and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, a few minutes.  Season with a healthy pinch salt and pepper.  Remove from heat. Halve tomatoes horizontally and scoop out flesh from both halves.  Roughly chop flesh and set in a bowl - along with any juices you can collect.  Place bottoms halves of tomatoes in a shallow non-reactive baking dish - tomatoes should be snug but not too tight.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Combine meats in a small bowl - mixing together well with fingers or a fork.  Add cooked onions and herbs and season well with more salt and pepper.  Mix to combine.  Divide meat into 6 portions and gently shape into a patty.  Place patty into each tomato base.  Cover meat with tomato tops.  Season chopped tomato flesh with salt and pepper and use to fill holes between tomatoes.  Drizzle whole thing with olive oil and transfer to oven.  Bake until meat is cooked through and the tomatoes are very soft but still holding their shape, about 1 hour.  The tomatoes will blister and the whole thing look a little wonky but promise - absolutely delicious.  Serve with rice - and a glass of French wine. 

Clams with Roast Tomatoes and Soupy Rice

Clams with Roast Tomatoes and Soupy Rice

• cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for final drizzle
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Several sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 dozen little neck clams, scrubbed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 ears corn, kernels removed =  2 cups fresh corn, cobs reserved
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for final drizzle
• 2 cloves garlic, minced to paste
• 3 shallots, finely chopped, heaping 1/4 cup
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh end of summer herbs - have experiments with a mix lemon verbena and lemon thyme and marjoram - all nice - plus more for garnish
• 1 smallish bulb fennel, finely chopped - about 2 cups
• 1 cup arborio rice

Heat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on baking sheet and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.  Set in oven and roast soft and bubbling, about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven. 

Meanwhile set a large pot over a medium flame.  Add clams, 1/4 cup wine and 3 cups cold water.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer gently until clams open, about 8 minutes.  Discard any clams that fail to open.  Use a slotted spoon to remove cooked clams from cooking liquid.  Transfer to a large bowl,  cover with a damp clothe and refrigerate until needed.  Add 2 cups cold water to cooking liquid, reserved corn cobs and bay leaves.   Return to boil, reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes, until liquid is very flavorful.  Remove from heat and discard corn cobs and bay leaves.  

Set a heavy bottomed saucepan with greater surface area than height over a medium low flame.  Let stand a minute or two to heat.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil together in pot until sizzling.  Add garlic, shallots and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.  Season with a healthy pinch of sea salt and a few cracks of black pepper.   Add corn kernels and fennel and cook until soft and just subtly caramelized, about 8 minutes.  Season once again.  Stir in rice.   Stir to coat rice grains in oil and toast just ever so gently.  Deglaze pot with remaining 1/4 cup wine.  Return clam cooking liquid to the heat and bring to a simmer.  Slowly add broth, one ladle full at a time, stirring more or less constantly between each addition and waiting until the liquid has been fully absorbed before adding more.  This whole process should take about 20 minutes.  Check rice for doneness and when just shy of al dente add remaining broth and clams.  Cook until clams are hot and rice is perfect and still soupy.  If you have run out of broth - augment with freshly boiled water.  Stir in remaining chopped herbs and two tablespoons butter.  Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper.  Serve  immediately in nice shallow pasta bowls.  Spoon tomatoes over each portion and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil. 

Concord Grape and Pear Focaccia

We have a small vineyard of these grapes upstate.  I'm always looking for ways to use them besides making grape jelly- here's an earthy and easy alternative.

Concord Grape and Pear Focaccia

• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 5 cups flour, plus more for kneading
• 1 tablespoon sea salt, plus more for topping
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch concord grapes, split and seeded
• 3 ripe but firm pears, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• several sprigs fresh oregano

Combine water, yeast and honey in a small bowl.  Let stand in a warmish place until yeast is bubbling and full of life, about 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with dough hook, combine flour, salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture.  Mix on low speed just until dough comes together.  Increase speed to medium and work dough until smooth and soft, about 5 minutes.  If dough remains wet or tacky sprinkle in a bit more flour.  

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand a few turns.  Clean out mixing bowl and wipe inside with a generous splash of olive oil.  Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a damp clean clothe and let stand until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Coat a baking sheet with 1/4 cup of olive oil.  Gently pull and stretch dough as you would for a pizza creating a nice large round.  Use your fingers to dimple the surface.  Cover dough with damp clothe and let stand until dough has doubled once again, about another hour. 

Heat oven to 425.  Combine grapes, pears, pine nuts and oregano in a bowl.  Toss together with about 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Arrange mixture over prepared dough.  Drizzle top with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil - a bit more if feeling brave and sprinkle with a general amount amount of sea salt.  Bake until golden brown, grapes should be hot and juicy, about 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. 

Stewed Zucchini with Ricotta and Pasta

Stewed Zucchini with Ricotta and Pasta

Summer squash.  When you can't beat them - join them. 

• 3 smallish zucchini, stem end trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
• Peel of one lemon, pith removed and thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• Sea salt
• 1 cup olive oil
• Several sprigs fresh mint
• Small pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 pound pasta 
• 1 cup fresh ricotta
• Freshly ground black pepper

Combine zucchini, lemon peel and garlic in a medium saucepan.  Season well with sea salt (about 1 teaspoon) and add olive oil.  Set over medium heat and cook just until oil starts to sizzle.  Add mint and red pepper flakes.  Reduce heat and let simmer gently (stir occasionally) until zucchini is very very soft and flavorful, about 1 hour.  

Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Drain pasta and divide between serving bowls.  Spoon ricotta and zucchini - along with some of the olive oil - over pasta.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Excess olive oil can be cooled and strained and used to flavor other cooked vegetable dishes and pasta sauces. 

Smore' Pop Tarts

Smore' Pop Tarts

One rainy day too many has us baking for mercy. 

Graham Crackers

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk

Combine whole wheat flour, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.  

Combine butter, sugar, honey and vanilla in the bowl of a standing mixer.  Cream on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Slowly add dry ingredients, alternating with milk.  Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate overnight. 

To assemble pop tarts you will need marshmallows and chocolate spread - store bough or homemade - depending on your mood and that of those around you.  And two egg whites!

Divide chilled dough in half.  Working one half at a time - roll dough out on a lightly floured parchment line surface into a long strip - approximately 4 x 12 inches. Use a sharp knife and ruler to cut dough down the middle creating two long strips 2 x 12.  Now clean up strips so that all edges are as straight as possible.

Cut each strip into rectangles - approximately 2 x 4.  Place two mini marshmallows or the equivalent size square of homemade marshmallow on the left half of each rectangle.  Plop a small spoonful of chocolate spread over marshmallow.  Whisk egg whites until frothy and then outline edge of each rectangle with egg wash.  Fold right side of dough over marshmallow/chocolate and seal by pressing firmly with fingers.  Arrange sealed pop tarts on a parchment lined baking sheet and transfer to freezer for at least 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, repeat process with remaining half of dough.

Heat oven to 350.  Dock tops of each pop tart with fork to create classic marking.  Bake (on parchment lined baking sheet) until set and golden, about 20 minutes.  Some marshmallow will escape and bubble up into a delicious sugary fringe.  Transfer to a wire wrack to cool before serving. 

Cold Sesame Noodles with Chopped Cucumber and Bean Salad

Cold Sesame Noodles with Chopped Cucumber and Bean Salad

Falls into the category of food we could eat everyday.

• 1 pound noodles - we used rice but egg noodles are traditional. 
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus more for noodles
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, plus more for vegetables
• 2 tablespoons sesame paste
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste, or to taste
• 1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1 large handful yellow flat beans, blanched to tender and chopped
• 1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Cook noodles according to package instructions.  The noodles should be on the firm side of cooked.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  Transfer to a bowl and hit with a healthy splash of sesame oil. 

Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili-garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend until just smooth.  Adjust seasoning with a tad more chili paste if desired.  Pour sauce over cooked noodles and toss well.  Combine cucumber, beans and cilantro in a small bowl.  Dress lightly with rice vinegar and spoon over noodles.  Sprinkle the whole thing with sesame seeds.  Serve immediately. 

Roast Carrots and Turkish Eggplant with Poached Chicken

Deep into the the lazy days of August - hoping this highly spiced dish gives me just the kick I need.  School supplies lady! Get it together.  Just giving the recipe for veg as honestly you could serve this dish with whatever you want - cold leftover steak, hard boiled eggs or grilled salmon. Hummus?  Dress any of those ideas up with a bit of lemon zest, cilantro and a cooling spoonful of thick plain yogurt. 

Roast Carrots and Baby Eggplant with Poached Chicken 

• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted and cracked
• 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
• 1 clove garlic, minced to paste
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for vegetables
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, less if you dislike heat
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for vegetables
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 large bunch carrots, trimmed, peeled and thinly sliced if thick
• 6 Turkish eggplant, halved
• Cold Poached chicken,  for serving - see above
• Thick plain yogurt, for serving

Mix together cumin, paprika, garlic, 1 teaspoon sea salt, cayenne, 1/2 cup olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl or jar - a pint mason jar ideal as you will have leftovers and this allows for easy storage.  Let stand about 1 hour for flavors to mingle and mellow. 

Heat oven to 425.  Combine vegetables in a large bowl.  Stir or shake spice mix well and spoon about 1 tablespoon of mixture over vegetables.  Add about 2 tablespoons more olive oil to vegetables and season with a pinch or two more salt.  Arrange vegetables - in a more or less single layer - on a sheet pan or roasting tray.  Roast until vegetables are very tender, take on lots of color and start to caramelize, about 30 minutes.  The eggplant may lag behind - if so remove carrots for pan and continue roasting eggplant until done.  Serve with poached chicken - dressed in lemon and cilantro - with a large spoonful of cooling yogurt.  The remaining spice mix should be kept refrigerated until needed.  Spoon it onto and into anything - sliced avocado, cucumber soup - you name it. 

Lemon Grilled Mackerel

Grilled Mackerel - way to my Spanish-breed husband's heart, spirit and soul.  No recipe - just build a hot charcoal fire, line grill with lemon slices to prevent sticking and season fish (gutted and cleaned) with salt and pepper.  Fish should be ready in a bout the time it takes to drink half a glass of wine. Drizzle with olive oil before serving.  Chopped ripe tomato salad and strong vinaigrette makes a fine accompaniment.